Foldable containers are commonly used to store and/or ship various products. Foldable containers provide benefits over non-foldable containers at least because foldable containers can be folded from a flat configuration into a three-dimensional configuration.
It is much easier to ship and store containers when they are in a flat configuration. Consequently, containers are usually not moved from their flat configurations into their three-dimensional configurations until they are needed. This often results in the containers being assembled by personnel that may or may not be familiar with the process of folding a particular container. Consequently, it would be beneficial for the container to be designed such that it is relatively obvious how to move the container from a flat configuration into a three-dimensional configuration.
Once the container is folded into a three-dimensional configuration, users are often required to apply tape or some other adhesive to hold the container in the three-dimensional configuration. Unfortunately, such tapes and adhesives are not always readily available. Furthermore, tapes and adhesives can damage containers, can complicate folding procedures, can limit how the container is used, and can hinder or prevent containers from later being moved back to their flat configurations for storage and/or shipping of the containers. Consequently, it would be beneficial if the container included one or more feature for securing the container in the three-dimensional configuration without requiring the user to use tapes or adhesive to hold the container in the three-dimensional configuration, especially in situations where the use of such adhesive may be prohibited and/or impractical.
Containers are often fabricated from a single piece of flat material that is folded into a three-dimensional container having a plurality of vertical panels extending upwards from a bottom panel so as to define an interior area for holding product. In some cases, the material is a special type of corrugated paperboard that includes one or more layer of special material so as to accommodate particular products being in direct contact with the various panels of the box.
Some containers are subject to environmental conditions and/or damaging substances. For instance, frozen chicken is often shipped in containers stacked within refrigerated trailers and ice is typically placed on top of the chicken, placing the ice in direct contact with the containers. In this way, the chicken is maintained below a threshold temperature so as to prolong the shelf-life of the chicken, to decrease the risk of the chicken becoming contaminated, and/or to satisfy government regulations. When fully packed, each direct-contact ice-pack container is relatively heavy. For instance, just one container may hold 40 or more pounds of chicken and 10 or more pounds of ice. These containers are then stacked on top of each other in a refrigerated truck and shipped across the country, likely experiencing jostling and impact loads along the way.
As the ice melts, water flows around the chicken, sometimes causing fluid to pool within the container. These pools of fluid can create potential hazards associated with potential contamination of the chicken and/or reduced structural integrity of the container. Additional potential hazards are associated with the fluid refreezing within the container. To minimize these risks, many such containers include one or more drain hole. Unfortunately, the addition of a drain hole can decrease the structural strength of the panel. Consequently, it would be beneficial to include a drain hole in a panel while minimizing potential loss of structural strength of the panel.
Some containers of the prior art include locking features to hold the containers in their three-dimensional configurations during filling, handling, loading, shipping, and unloading. For instance, one design for a top-locking feature includes locking flanges that are coupled to hinge flanges, each hinge flange extending from a recessed portion of the top end of each primary end panel. Secondary end panels extending from each end of each side panel include corresponding recessed portions such that when the locking flanges are folded over the secondary end panels, the hinge flanges are pressed down into the recessed portions of the top ends of the secondary end panels. Unfortunately, this top-locking feature decreases the bearing surface at the top of the end panels. Furthermore, the top-locking feature is ineffective if it is not completely engaged, often causing product or other items, such as chicken and/or ice, to spill out of the container. Furthermore still, even if the top-locking feature is completely engaged, it is subject to becoming disengaged during filling, handling, loading, shipping, and/or unloading. Furthermore yet, it is often difficult or impossible to inspect the top-locking feature to determine whether the locking feature is disengaged and/or is likely to become disengaged.
Consequently, it would be beneficial to have a locking feature that does not decrease the bearing surface at the top of the end panels. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to have a locking feature that is effective even if it is not completely engaged. Furthermore still, it would be beneficial to have a locking feature that is not subject to becoming disengaged while filling and/or moving the container. Furthermore yet, it would be beneficial to have a locking feature that is easy to inspect so that a user can easily determine whether the locking feature is disengaged and/or is likely to become disengaged.
Various containers of the prior art have been developed to solve various problems and to serve various needs, but each has its limitations and drawbacks. For example, many containers include locking features for a primary panel that extend beyond the primary panel regardless of whether the panel is in a three-dimensional configuration or in a flat configuration. In other words, the locking features are created by adding material to an existing blank for a primary panel. Some such locking features require the locking feature to be cut from a secondary panel and/or from another primary panel. Other such locking features extend beyond the panels such that a larger blank stock of material is required to produce the container. Consequently, it would be beneficial to have a locking feature for a primary panel that does not extend beyond the periphery of the panel when the container is in a flat configuration.
Other limitations of the locking features of the prior art include limited strength capabilities. For instance, many such locking features include one or more feature that weakens the locking feature such that the locking feature is likely to break well before the material of the container has reached its loading capability. In many instances, this deficiency is remedied by adding tape or some other bonding agent at or near the locking feature. In other instances, however, especially when tape and/or other adhesives are not allowed or are otherwise undesirable, the locking feature is simply allowed to remain as a weak-point of the container. In some such embodiments, the locking feature tears or otherwise comes loose, allowing the container to pop open. Consequently, it would be beneficial to have a locking feature that does not require tape or any other bonding material for the locking feature to have a strength capability that is approximately equivalent to the strength capability of the material of the container.
Furthermore, many foldable containers are made from relatively flexible materials, such as corrugated paperboard, so as to accommodate the bending and folding that is required to move the container from a flat configuration to a three-dimensional configuration. To the extent that some foldable containers can be fabricated from stiffer materials, such as plastic, there are few options, many of which are not feasible for use with both flexible material and stiffer material. Consequently, it would be beneficial to have a foldable container that is capable of being fabricated from both stiff material and flexible material.